SAN DIEGO (SONNA) — The runway lights had been out, a climate alert system wasn’t working and there was heavy fog at a San Diego airport when a pilot who had flown throughout the nation made the choice to proceed with touchdown however got here up quick and crashed right into a neighborhood, probably killing all six aboard the plane, investigators stated Friday.
Investigator Dan Baker of the Nationwide Transportation Security Board stated officers will work over the following yr to find out what brought on the Cessna 550 Quotation to crash simply earlier than 4 a.m. Thursday. The jet was carrying a music government and 5 others. Nobody within the neighborhood of U.S. Navy housing died, however eight folks had been handled for smoke inhalation from the fiery crash and non-life-threatening accidents.
The pilot acknowledged the climate situations for touchdown on the small airport weren’t superb and debated diverting to a distinct airport whereas discussing the visibility with an air visitors controller at a regional Federal Aviation Administration management tower, in line with audio of the dialog posted by LiveATC.web.
The FAA had posted an official discover for pilots that the lights had been out of service, however it’s not identified whether or not the pilot had checked it. He didn’t talk about the lights being out with air visitors management, however was conscious that the airport’s climate alert system was inoperable. In the end, the pilot is heard saying that he’ll stick to the plan to land at Montgomery-Gibbs Govt Airport.
